It's just one of those days
by LostXandXLonely
Summary: Murphy's Law has been giving Artemis some loving and needless to say, she isn't happy about it... Waltermis/Spitfire pairing... VERY VERY STRONG T rating for part two and spoilers for Arty's past
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everybody... new story! Yay! I wanted to get this out before school starts tomorrow. It's going to be a Two-shot (and I have about half of the second chapter written). Expect it with in the week. **

**There will be spoilers in this story about Artemis' past. Don't read if you don't want to know! You have been warned!**

'It's just one of those days isn't it,' I grumbled to myself. It felt like everything was just going wrong. It had to start with my alarm not working and me being late to school. Sure, I can just say that's because my 'extra circulars' kept me up late last night. At some point Kid Mouth needs to realize that him jumping into a situation kamikaze style doesn't just screw up the mission, but my circadian rhythms as well.

But I digress. So after showing up late to my new school where the teachers actually pay attention and take role, I was publicly humiliated by tripping, yes tripping and landing on the teacher. God, does she and well, God hate me today… Sure, you're gonna say that that's impossible, a agile super hero like me doesn't trip. Well, I have the stain on my shirt and burn on my stomach from the coffee cup she was holding to prove it.

Then next period, I walk into the room and sit down, and begin to pray that my luck will change and that the world will take pity on me. Fat, freaking, chance. Let me set the stage for you. Off in the corner, by the window I'm just hoping that I can slip under the radar for the time being. Suddenly, the resident blonde cheerleader type decides to make my life a living hell by spreading the embarrassing topics of the morning to the rest of the class. I'm of course loosing consciousness due to Bay Watch's antics from the previous night. While everybody is snickering about me, I'm passed out… drooling.

Finally the teacher walks in and decides to make an example of me by using his handy dandy phone alarm. After I've picked myself up off the floor where I had fallen to, he gives everybody a pop quiz. And yeah, this is English Lit, my worst subject. The fact that Vietnamese is my first language doesn't help this at all.

Finally when lunch rolls around, I'm counting my blessings that nothing else has happened for the morning. I'm walking extra carefully and minding the people around me. Nobody is talking to me, which is a relief, but of course my homeroom teacher just has to come out of nowhere and ask me if I'm all right. I want to say 'what do you think?' and 'of course I'm not okay' and then list all of the ways things have been sucking. I can't of course and she insists that I spend the rest of my lunch period in the counselor's office assuring her that I don't have a psychological disorder.

Finally, I make it to my last class of the day: gym. Oh, how do I love gym… it sucks that I can't, you know, "display my skills" without raising questions. I mean, how the hell could I answer them? Oh yeah, I can do a triple standing back flip because I'm part kangaroo, not because my dad is a psychopathic assassin that uses of all things, a sports theme. Yeah, that will go over well. I did slip up a bit today during our archery unit though. At least I can say that my better than average sight lets my hit a bull's-eye from across the gym…

So yeah, I was off of my game today. I raced to the nearest teleporter and took my one-way trip to Mount Justice. I just needed a simple routine mission to get me out of this funk, or so I thought. It turns out that Batman needed us to do was, I am not even kidding, watch and see if the grass was growing. Apparently Poison Ivy and the Riddler had teamed up and hinted that they could be in one of several parks. He of course stuck me with Flash Boy in Star City where we sat and bickered the entire night while Supey and M'gann caught the action in New York. Even Kaldur and Robin got to fight, as they were originally placed in Gotham. Needless to say, my mood hadn't improved by the time I was walking home in Gotham.

And just because Murphy's Law had to be in place, Wally was asking about why I was so angry. Damn it, he was hinting on a sore subject. He always did this. Why was it always him that finds the tiny chinks in my otherwise impenetrable façade?

The Wall-man didn't like the fact that I was ignoring him, so he had to bring up freaking Bialya and the ninja boyfriend crap. I mean seriously, who needs that much clarification? I did have to admit though, when he was quiet, or at the very least not asking stupid questions, I could tolerate him. Well, more than that. If he wasn't so truly annoying, I might even admit that I have a bit of a soft spot for redheads. His eyes didn't hurt my opinion of him either.

I can't say that I hate him though. If only he could cut out some of his childish behavior (especially his obsession with M'gann), I think I could really get along with him. I let this thought pass; it's not like I'm every going to be in his good graces. He still hates me for 'replacing' Speedy and I know how much he doesn't want me calling him out. If only he was as charming in real life as he was on TV. It's hard, because as much as I hate to admit it, I really did have a crush on the media portrayal of him. Sometimes it sucks to meet your idols, and it's even worse when they fall short of your expectations.

So many other feelings and thoughts were distracting me as I made my way causally from the phone booth to my apartment. Before you ask, yes I had civies on over my costume. I'm not that dumb. Mom was going to be pissed at me because I was already late so I picked up my pace.

Still, the worst part of my day was yet to come… Hell, if I knew what was going to happen, I would have stayed at Mount Justice, hiding. I would have even tolerated being locked in Wally's smelly closet, just to avoid **him**.

**I hope you guys like this! Again, Part two will be here soon**...


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everybody... Here's part 2. I thought that this was going to be a two shot, but yeah, not so much. The character have a mind of their own and I'm powerless to stop it ;)**

**Just a bit of clarification, I don't think Arty's the mole, but for the purpose of this story she is... Any ways, onward to the chapter!**

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><p>God damn it, did I hate him. I wracked my brain, desperately searching for what I could have done wrong to set him off like this. As much as I tried, nothing in particular came to mind.<p>

One of his hands was buried deep in my hair, roughly pulling my head back. It felt like my scalp was throbbing under the tension. It was a mistake to try to refuse looking at him; I was so stupid. Suddenly he backhanded me across my right cheek. It wasn't so much the pain that made me yelp, but the surprise. He usually hits me later. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to brace myself for the next hit, but instead he decided to berate my recent behavior.

I tuned his lecture out; it was always the same anyways. I was always stupid. I was never good enough. If I had listened to him more then he wouldn't have to do this to me. God, how it pained him to do this to me, how he hated doing this to my pretty little face, but it was my fault. I had forced him to do this. Soon enough it would stop, I just had to hold out until then. I would be away from him, but I made the mistake of smirking just a fraction.

His free hand shot to my throat, lifting me up off the ground. I couldn't breathe or move.

"You think this is a joke, you little bitch? You dare defy me?" he roared into my face.

I learned to not cry or fight back a long time ago; it only made him worse.

He threw me down onto the cold concrete floor of the abandoned warehouse that he had dragged me into. I landed on my stomach, trying franticly to catch my breath. He kicked me once in the gut hard enough to flip me over onto my back. He had already ripped off my civvies so the contact between his metal boot tip and my skin left a deep purple mark I would learn later. The sickening snap of one or two of my ribs cracking permeated heavy air. I threw up a bit in my mouth from the pain, but the taste was nothing compared to sour feeling of dread that filled me as soon as he told me the consequences of my actions.

"The Light isn't satisfied with just information about completed missions anymore. There's no sense in letting your team survive. You've proven far too unpredictable. Besides, I can't trust you anymore. You've grown far too… attached," he hissed into my ear through his stupid hockey mask. The more he talked, the harder I could feel the tread of his shoe leaving an imprint on my stomach.

"What do they want then?" I half-asked, half-panted. I just wanted him to stop, to get off of me. After the day I'd been having, all I wanted to do was curl up and forget everything, but that wasn't happening.

I hated him, but that was only second to my feelings of fear. He knew everything I cared about and every way to manipulate me. Memories of the so-called 'accident' that left my mother paralyzed from the waist down flooded my mind's eye. That, was the first and only time I had tried defy him. I was his puppet and he liked it that way.

"I don't really give a damn about what they want. What I want is to end him, you know, the piece of trash that you decided to feel something for. I would ask you to bring me the young Flash child, dead or alive, but I can't trust you. It would be perfect actually; he is the heart of the team after all. Without him Young Justice will fall, fulfilling my commitment to the Light. Child, you mustn't take me as a fool, though. I see your connection to him. You would never give him up."

His expression suddenly changed. It didn't matter if he had the mask, I could always sense whether or not he was satisfied with how much punishment I had received. I was in for so much more.

He…" he paused for a moment, only to stomp on my ribcage, knocking the wind out of me and sending a whole new wave of pain and nausea through out my body, "is beneath you, even if you are lower than the dirt beneath my feet. No daughter of mine will fall for an enemy! Especially not for one so reckless, so raw, so… you get the idea. Do I make myself clear, Artemis?"

He spat on my face before leaving, only adding another insult to my broken pride and the utter dread of what I had to do. I hated that he was right about Wally. It really didn't matter if I tried to deny it now. Why did he have to be the first to figure it out? Was I that obvious about my feelings for him? The utter hopelessness of the situation dawned on me and I felt like I was going to be sick again: I had to kill Wally, the guy I kinda sorta wanted to maybe kiss or something to that effect, or bring him to my father to be tortured and then killed. Or of course I could admit to the entire team that I was a mole for an evil terrorist organization and see how that went. There was no telling how long I had before my father would intervene and do something to someone I care about to… motivate me.

Fuck.

^V^V^V^V^V^

My thoughts were racing as I ran as fast as my crushed ribs would allow to the nearest teleporter a few blocks away. I should have listened to Kaldur and spent the night. Sportsmaster, or dad or whatever I should call that monster ambushed me on my way home from it anyways, but now the sun was rising over Gotham. Normally, I would have stayed away from Mount Justice for a few days to let myself heal, but I didn't have that luxury this time.

I felt so lightheaded when I finally did reach the telephone booth, I slid down the walls as I finished imputing the rerouting code.

"Recognized: Artemis B07"

"Though you weren't… woah, guys need some help over here," Robin called out to the others.

I couldn't tell who had picked me up, but my bet was on Kid Mouth. Kaldur or Superboy wouldn't have had to readjust their grip halfway up to the medical bay.

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><p><strong>I hope you guys liked it... this week at school is going to be crazy, so the update might be a bit delayed...<strong>

**See Ya!**

**LXaXL  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back! Sorry again for the longer wait that usual... The seniors at my school are done next week so half of my classes are wrapping up. I should be able to update a bit more regularly after then.**

**Any ways, here it is: the third chapter to It's Just One of Those Days!**

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><p>The next thing I knew, my entire torso was wrapped in bandages, some ice was resting on my sore cheek and a head of fluffy red hair was resting on, well, my chest. Weakly, I tried to push him off, immediately missing the heat that he radiated. I just felt so… cold.<p>

"Hey," I whispered. I didn't realize how weak I was. Really, it was more of a wheeze than anything else. Then the inevitable string of questions poured out of his mouth.

"Arty, what the hell happened? We got kinda worried when you didn't show up when you were supposed to, but we, I…"

God, why couldn't I hold the tears back for a bit longer? And it wasn't just a few tears either. I must have scared Wally because he just sort of sat there with his mouth open. He must have been assuming the worst.

I took a second before I tried to say anything, but by that time the tears were pouring down my face in a constant stream. Why did it have to be him? Why wasn't I strong enough to handle this? I usually didn't cry like this when Sportsmaster did this to me, but it's been a while since he threated me with someone else's life. Wally's face was a perfect picture of confusion, sadness and pity. If I wasn't in such a terrible situation, I would have kicked his ass, but really I couldn't blame him now. I was so hurt that anyone would feel bad for me. He just sort of sat there and stared until I finally managed to say a few words. Damn it, it hurt so much to speak.

"I wasn't raped or anything if that's what you're asking," I managed to spit out. I turned my head away from him (it was just too much), when he tentatively grabbed my hand. The electricity roared between us as his grip tightened. I had no idea if he felt it too, but right then, I knew that there really wasn't a choice; I had to tell the team everything. It was the only way to save him. His eyes were twitching, scanning me, trying to process all my injuries.

He lowered his head for a second. When I saw his face after, it was a perfect, forced expression of concern. It figured that he didn't really care then. I was just the bitch who replaced Speedy and wouldn't shut up. How could I ever be so stupid to hope that we might get past all of the bickering? He was right; I was too attached.

Our eyes locked and immediately, my chest felt like it was caving in. the tears were still rolling down. I must have looked so pathetic.

"I get it if you don't want to tell me now. But just so you know, the team is worried. I'm…" he paused and then sighed, standing up and looking away from me. " Actually, never mind. I'm sure you'd rather talk to Kaldur or Megan or just keep it to yourself. Sorry that I fell asleep on you."

Of course he would guilt trip me right now. Why didn't he see how much pain I was in right now? I mean, he'd be right in any other situation, but this was different, so different. I opened my mouth to speak to him, but nothing came out. I reached out trying to get him to stay, but he already had his back turned to me by now and was probably already in his room.

I was just so useless. We it came right down to it, I couldn't do it; I couldn't tell him that I was spy. The only thing I could do now was go to sleep and wait for him to come back. Maybe he wouldn't though. I mean he probably hated me after everything we've said to each other. I wish I could curl up and have some one tell me that everything was all right. Too bad that it would never happen.

I had always dreamed about what it would have been like to have parents that cared about how I felt or what I wanted to do. I was just a puppet to my dad and I didn't even meet mom until I was 10. He would pop in from time to time when I started living with her. He had begun to train me when I was 5 or so. First, it started with throwing knives but my performance wasn't good enough. Then it was javelins, but that was also a disaster. Then he tried archery and finally I was good enough. That was the happiest day of my life; the one time he had ever praised me.

The only thing I wanted for a while was just for him to love me, but it was always conditional. I can count how many times he ever told me that I was even just okay on one hand. Looking back on it, I was pathetic. I'll never be loveable and I should just stop trying. What ever I do now won't matter. I won't be able to salvage my situation with the team, or my relationship with Wally. I'll end up just getting my hopes up and crashing hard afterwards.

I tried to turn on my side, but the pain was too much. I was so frustrated then that I cursed a bit and slammed my hand on the thin mattress. Now, I'm as damaged physically as I am mentally.

Eventually, I did fall asleep, but the nightmares kept waking me up. I mean, if I couldn't even sleep like a normal person how could I expect to do anything right.

Finally I got to the point where I was half asleep, but I could still hear things going on around me. The air was whooshing a bit at one point, probably M'gann bringing me food and I could hear some yelling between two people on the stairs leading up to the medical bay. I didn't catch any of the words, but one voice was a lot deeper than the other.

When I did decide to get up, Green Arrow was there, sitting in the chair that Wally was on before.

"You want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Who…"

"You know."

He sighed and got up. We had a bit of a silent understanding about not pushing me too far. He knew who my father was, and he accepted the cover story that I was just trying to get away from dearest dad. We weren't close to any stretch of the imagination. We worked together for a few weeks in Star City, but that never went well. I was too reckless and he was too used to Roy being his partner. Part of that was on purpose so I could get on the team, but it took a lot less time that I thought it would.

A little while later Batman came in to tell me the extent of my injuries- six cracked ribs, bruised stomach, throat and face, scratches and scrapes from crawling to the teleporter, and a concussion- and that I was off active duty until further notice. And just as quick as he came, he left.

The loneliness started to set in then. Every once in a while the team, minus Wally, came in to check on me. Rob and I played some video games, but he kicked my ass. M'gann brought food. Superboy just sort of sat there. I was happy that they were there, but Kaldur wouldn't stop prying when it was his turn to come visit me. I was quick to shut down and ignore him, but he did catch my attention once.

"I am sorry that Kid has not come to visit. He has been… distant since you came in last night. He assured me that he was fine, but I think he is worried by your condition. If you would like me to, I can send him to see you."

I didn't respond quickly and I'm sure he took my hesitation as a bad sign. He stood up and was walking away when I did manage to say something.

"I just don't want him to hate me. I know we're not really friends, but I… I can't help but feel like he thinks I'm just pathetic now."

He continued to walk down the stairs and with that I knew that telling them was going to be much harder than I thought.

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><p><strong>Again, Hope you guys liked it! Thanks again for the reviews and expect the update with in the week. Next time, the reveal will happen.<strong>

**Until then, See Ya!  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everybody... sorry for the wait. School has been super intense this past week and I'm taking the SAT on Saturday. (hooray, not)...**

**Any ways, I hope you guys enjoy! Let me know what you think :)**

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><p>Once Kaldur left I ran through what I thought I thought their reactions would be to my secret. M'gann would cry, that was a given. Superboy would be pissed, but he'd leave and M'gann would follow. Robin, boy Robin. He'll be pissed that Bats lied to him. His mentor did go with the charade after all. Kaldur will attempt to understand, but he's going to take it personally. After fish-girl dumped him, he's been looking to me for comfort.<p>

Then Wally, he'll either be smug and say that they never should have trusted me in the first place, citing that Speedy was worth the wait, or he's going just be to mad in general.

The numbness was setting in while I waited for my next baby sitter. I couldn't tell if the IV drip was for fluids of pain meds, but I didn't really care. The dread overrode any physical pain any ways. The guilt felt like a truck had hit me, everything hurt, but it concentrated in my stomach. I would rather take ten or twenty of these beat downs than tell them. I can't say that we're close by any stretch of the imagination, but we trust each other enough to cover our backs. I don't think that will be a possibility ever again.

I guess you say that we could be considered something in between acquaintances and friends. They knew nothing about me, but the beginnings of trust were there. If Robin was listening into this, he might call us acquaintends… damn, I was attached, I was even thinking like them. I hate it when he's right.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps on the stairs, definitely more than just one person. I closed my eyes and stayed still. Sure, you could call this an avoidant tactic, but it's not like I'm really looking forward to this.

"Good, she's asleep. I'll just have to come back later," Wally said.

"Look lover boy, you going to have to talk to her at some point. Don't think you're getting out of this."

"Not cool Rob. I definitely don't like her. I can't even stand her!" So he did hate me, lovely.

I moved slightly on accident, and the two boys became quiet. I had no idea if they were then only people there, but if it was just the two of them, I wouldn't have to break M'gann's heart. She was like a puppy, overly trusting and innocent. I didn't exactly want to drop kick her off a proverbial bridge.

Finally, I caught a break and it was just Kid Mouth and the Boy Wonder there. Wally immediately tried to run away, but Robin got a hold of his wrist before he could get any meaningful distance.

"Wait, stay, please," I managed to croak out. My voice sounded awful, but cracked ribs will do that to you.

Hesitantly, they sat down, Wally on the chair and Rob on the foot of my bed.

"You gonna spill what kind of aster you got yourself into, or should we just ignore it a bit longer?" the younger of the two said. It hurt a bit to know that I'd never hear his stupid wordplay ever again. I didn't expect them to kill me, but prison was definitely an option.

I looked over to Wally, and his face was perfectly disinterested, blank. When our eyes met, he faltered for a second, but that was it.

"I'm going to preface this with the fact that I never wanted to hurt any of you, ever. I hate myself for everything I've ever done, but I've never really had a choice in any of these matters. When you guys were in Santa Prisca, you met a man that wore a stupid hockey mask, right?"

They nodded, not exactly sure where I was going with this. Wally sat silently while Rob asked the questions.

"Sportsmaster right? He almost torched Miss M with an exploding javelin… and he was supplying Kobra with Blockbuster. What does this have to do with him?"

"You don't see the resemblance do you?" I said with a bit of a humorless chuckle. Their faces were just priceless. Robin was completely confused while Wally was just disgusted.

"No wonder you're so insane," Baywatch whispered under his breath. I couldn't blame him, but it hurt nonetheless.

"Hey, It's not like I chose my parents! He's ruthless, cunning and an ass, I mean look at me!" That's when it hit them… Robin lowered his head so I couldn't see his face, but Wally tried (and failed) to cover the pity on his face.

"So he attacked you because you joined us then…" The boy wonder said in a perfect monotone.

There was a silence. I assumed it was because they were processing the bomb I had just dropped on them. If only I didn't have to shatter that image, the one where I was on their side, where I had some semblance of innocence.

"Well, not… exactly…" I said barely above a whisper.

The unspoken rage between the two skyrocketed, already hitting the boiling point. My head was down. I couldn't look at them, I just couldn't. I could tell Robin was restraining himself from hitting me by the way his fist clenched. I didn't even dare to look at Wally. I braced myself for both the physical blow and the venomous words.

I began to speak like I was rattling off statistics, emotionless and distant. It was the only way I could bring myself to ruin any acquaintendship that had begun to take hold.

"I… I was a. I was a spy for Sportsmaster, and the men he is working for. After the fire at Cadmus, they wanted someone to keep tabs on the team. They sent me in under the guise that I was trying to escape his wrath and change sides. When Roy left his position under Green Arrow, the perfect opportunity opened up for an archer that needed a mentor. Batman decided that I was safe enough and let me work with him as his fake niece. I purposely acted out as a way for GA to end our partnership faster… And that's when I joined you.

"I was never supposed to get attached, but I failed. I stopped reporting in as frequently, and he must have figured out why. I'm so…."

I stopped when the bed shook. I had been looking at my hands as a way to avoid see their faces. In that time Wally had stood up and punched the bed right next to where I was laying. Before I could see his face, he had run out of the room. He could be any where by now.

I sighed; it had gone as well as I had suspected it would, but I had no idea why Kid ran. Robin coughed a bit, trying to get my attention.

"What kind of information did you disclose to… them?"

"Nothing that they could use to find out your secret id," I whispered. I was surprised by how weak I sounded. It was worse than before. Did Wally really have that much of an affect on me? All I wanted to do was cry. Rob gave me a look, beckoning me to continue.

"Mainly information about missions… how much the team knew about the men behind the curtain orchestrating all the action. Nothing that could be traced back to you guys. I did my best to protect everyone."

We remained unmoving for a few moments. I fidgeted with the covers for a bit, feeling awkward. My chest ached from talking so much and the bright lights were making me dizzy. Eventually he walked over and put his hand on my shoulder.

"You did the best you could," he stated evenly before walking to the stairs. I could hear his steps beginning to fade just before he called back to me.

"He'll come around eventually. He just needs some time…"

I stayed in the position I was in for a few moments, watching the tears stain the sheets. I wouldn't let myself get my hopes up. I had survived too long to let someone ruin me.

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><p><strong>Let me know what you think... I'm not exactly sure when the next chapter is coming out, but it will be relatively soon. <strong>

**Until next time,**

**See Ya! **

**LXaXL  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm back! So yes, I did this instead of the history homework I have... (don't tell my mom). This chapter is longer than the other ones by about a thousand words... there was just no good way to cut it, so lucky you guys! :)**

**So any way, enjoy and tell me what you think!**

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><p>In the forty-eight hours Wally was missing from Mount Justice, a couple of things had changed.<p>

One: I wasn't completely helpless and bedridden. I had always been quick to heal, or at least stubborn enough to ignore how long I was supposed to rest for. M'gann had come early the next morning to change the ace around my torso. We didn't speak. She probably didn't know what to say; I mean none of them did. As she was getting up to leave, I could see the tears beginning to streak her face.

Despite a bit of hesitation, I grabbed her wrist. She turned back to look at me with an expression of fear plastered on her face. Don't get me wrong, I hate hugs, but the Martian looked like a deer in the headlights and the guilt was overpowering. I flinched a bit from the contact, mainly because of my ribs, but I wasn't really used to comforting people, er aliens either.

I was sitting up and she was taking full advantage of the shoulder I provided for her to cry on. I sat there awkwardly for a few minutes while she blubbered. I wasn't really sure how to do it exactly, but I tried my best to be soothing, rubbing her back, telling her that everything was okay and the like. I got her to stop crying eventually, but it felt like an eternity.

She broke away from me, wiping away any stray tears. I felt her eyes boring into me, almost like she was trying to see a physical sign of my betrayal. I could feel her consciousness on the edge of my mind. I know she was trying her best to not read my mind, but I could feel how desperately she wanted to. The air was charged with so many unspoken words. It felt oppressive really. I closed my eyes and turned my head away. She was just so… innocent. Hurting her and knowing it only made it worse.

"I… I want to know why…" She managed to say. She needed to be more specific; There were just so many whys to answer. Why had I betrayed them. Why didn't I tell them sooner. Why didn't I trust them enough. Why it had to come out this way.

After telling so many lies to get to where I was now, the truth felt beyond me. Sure, I could tell her that I didn't trust them. I could tell her that I was happy working for him until he went overboard. It would be so easy to pass off another story. Everybody knows I'm must happier wrapped up in the cocoon of deceit. My emotional armor wasn't just made up of only bitchiness, after all. If I wanted things to go back to how they were though, I'd have to actually open up to her, to them.

I knew that if I were to truly get her to trust me, I'd have to open up on her level. I weighed the pros and the cons of letting her into my mind. In any other circumstance I would have laughed at myself for acting so soft, for even thinking of letting my guard down, for being vulnerable.

But shit, I had nothing to loose anymore.

I took a deep breath and grabbed her green hands and placed her fingertips at my temples. Her brown eyes widened with shock and she understood my nod as a sign to let her speak to me telepathically.

We were back in her mind. The random bits of memories replaying through her eyes were scattered about in the purple toned room. I was thankful that she was letting me stand in her mind, not feeling the dull ache of the injuries.

"Pull whatever you want from my mind. Anything you're curious about, just take it. I-I want you, everybody, to know that I kept everything I could from my father. I failed my mission for him the day I saved Wally from Amazo. I'm on your side and… I want to help."

She nodded and her eyes turned that eerie glowing white.

At first it was painless as she was going over simple things: who my mother was, my friends at school and the like. Then came the first bit of digging. She was going through it all so fast I only caught snippets, but it was enough to make my stomach turn. Bits and pieces of my training with him came up, but she went straight to when I first tried a bow and slowed down for a bit. She focused on how desperate I was to please him, the elation I felt the single time he told me that I was good, not decent, but good. I could feel a shade of recognition when she saw his mask. Robin did say that he had thrown one of his javelins at her.

Zipping past a few years, she slowed down when she found the memory I had of meeting mom for the first time. I sensed her confusion when she saw mom walking, picking me up for the first time. The fact that I had jerked back when she first made contact wasn't lost upon her. I almost attacked her when she had done that. It was before I knew that she wasn't trying to hurt me; He never exactly explained that hugs were a common form of affection.

Then came my time with the League of Shadows. She glazed over most of it. I suspected that she was afraid to explore that terrain as of yet. However, she did pause the minute she saw Jade's mask. It was the time I first met her. We were technically allies, working together on several missions, but I never did trust her. M'gann did pick up on that, from what little bits I could pick up from her end.

And soon enough she saw me 'sneaking' into the Hall of Justice. It was raining that night in DC and I had purposefully kept my appearance as ragged as possible. It was easy enough to break in through one of the skylights, but I was just lucky that 'Uncle Ollie' was the one to catch me. He had brought me to his place that night in Star City. She noticed how I had initially thought of him as a total idiot for believing me.

That was where I had met Roy. He was packing up his stuff. My father had apparently known that he had defected, thinking that it was the perfect time to send me in. I remember panicking and hiding behind the doorway. He must have laughed at that later, but at the time he was just angry. He had yelled at me, and half playing the part and half really feeling it, I acted totally frightened. She had picked up on the part where I was contemplating just punching him in the face when he got too close. I noticed that she was paying extra attention to the alarm clock in the room where the date read July 8. I got his room though, and thus began the misadventures of Artemis and Green Arrow.

Suddenly, she withdrew her presence while she was in the middle of replaying one of our nightly patrols and I was back in the purple room. I was confused, wondering why she had decided to stop there.

"I don't see any need to look beyond what I have seen. I think I understand a bit better. You did let her go though, didn't you?"

"You're going to have to be a bit more specific."

"Cheshire…"

"Oh. Her. I did. She threatened to tell the team everything I had just shown you. My position wasn't stable enough for me to risk that…"

M'gann nodded and soon the pain returned and I was horizontal again. She was getting up to leave, but I called out to her without thinking first.

"Can you do me a bit of a favor?"

"What do you need?"

"Help me get downstairs?"

When she began to levitate me I shamelessly admit that I freaked out. I tend to enjoy gravity acting on my body. She stopped once she saw me clinging to the bed.

"Lets not pick me up again that way, please," I gasped out, still a little cautious.

Helping me maneuver my way to a standing position, she let me lean on her as we descended down to the kitchen. I was trying my best to walk, but it was really hard to breathe. I was completely winded when we finally made it to the couch. I did stay upright though.

The boys were in the kitchen discussing something, but became silent as soon as the realized that they weren't alone. M'gann left me to go talk with them, but I could feel them staring. The judgment was almost palpable. All I could do was pull a Superboy and watch the static while (hopefully) she stuck up for me.

I tried not to listen to the angry whispers; it only made the shame weigh on me more. I really did hate myself for this. I should have told them sooner. It sucks that hindsight is 20-20.

That was where part two came in: They decided to trust any intel I could give them.

They went silent for a few minutes, I assumed because M'gann was showing them what I had shared with her. I had become so numb that I didn't even realize that Aqualad was waving his hand in front of my face for a few seconds. They were sitting down around me. If they were to arrest me or try to restrain me, I was helpless.

"Artemis," Aqualad said. I could feel the hesitation, the reluctance to talk to me, the traitor, the infiltrator.

"We want to protect you. We have moved your mother to a safe location and we are prepared to find Sportsmaster and bring him in. We just need you to point us in the right direction."

I was stunned. How could I not have thought about mom? I seriously had the impulse to hobble over to the wall and bang my head against it. Was I really that dumb to not realize that he would go to her first? She was his main bargaining chip. How could I be so… stupid?

"His main bunker is in New York, but he also has a base in Los Angeles. He knows that I know exactly where he is in New York, but I'm not sure if it's the same situation with LA."

"Why there?" Superboy asked.

"The two places with the highest concentration of sports teams… It's like he gets high when he watches a game, and I mean any game."

"Oh…"

"I doubt he'll be in New York. He's already been at my apartment in Gotham looking for mom, and he's not dumb enough to try to break in here. I don't know where the base in LA is exactly, but it's going to be within a mile radius of the stadium downtown."

They all gave me a weird look.

"Easy access…" Robin said trailing off.

I nodded.

"We will take this to Batman and see what he believes is the best course of action," the Atlantean decided.

The boys left, but M'gann helped me to my room and tried to make me comfortable. I knew I wasn't going to be able to sleep, but I didn't tell her that. I wanted to work on repairing some of my arrows, but apparently they weren't going to let me get anywhere close to my weapons. I needed a distraction, badly. Now that I knew that they weren't going to kill me and that mom was safe, all of my thoughts were turning to Wally.

"Just give them some time, they'll all come around eventually," She said, trying to be comforting, but effectively knocking me out of my reverie. I didn't respond, which prompted her to keep talking.

"He will too. Back in Bialya, when I was in his mind, I was thinking about how… hot you looked… I think that was the word he used."

"It means nothing now. I doubt that I'm worth much in his mind. Apparently, I'm so revulsive that he can't even look at me or be anywhere close to me."

"Well, he just reentered my range."

I really didn't need this right now. I really, really didn't.

M'gann left soon after once I stopped talking to her. I could hear yelling, but I couldn't make out anything they said.

I held off for as long as I could and I waited until the yelling ended, but I was so thirsty. Leaning heavily on the wall, I made my way to the kitchen.

Of course, with my luck, he was standing there with Robin and saw me as soon as I lost my grip and fell on my hands and knees.

I managed to pick myself up before they got to me, but I could feel Wally's gaze lock on me. He was angry, that was obvious, but there was something else entirely in the way he was looking at me. Disgust? Rage? No, neither of those were right.

"Why are we letting the traitor stumble around the cave? Shouldn't we have her handcuffed to something?"

"Dude, that's a low blow even from you," Robin whispered to him.

I wanted to add that I wasn't exactly getting too far in my state, but Robin took care of that for me while he helped me get to my feet.

"So she's too weak to defend herself? That's fantastic!"

Damn it that was it. He just found my limit and completely blew right past it.

"You know what Wally? Fine, I admit it! I fucked up! But I'm doing everything I can to make amends! You on the other hand, ran away. At least I took responsibly and I'm making up for it."

"Yeah, but I didn't betray my friends! I didn't help a psychopath make a steroid compound that could make regular guys be able to go toe to toe the Supey! I didn't help the guy that almost killed Miss M!"

"Tell me then: If the Flash told you to do something, would you do it? That psychopath is my dad! I don't like him, I hate him! Look at what he's done to me! If I didn't do what he wanted, he would have hurt my mom again! She's in a wheelchair because of that monster! I couldn't protect her from him twenty-four seven and I didn't want her to die! So go ahead, insult me! Hate me for what I've done! But don't you dare tell me that I'm responsible for the things that he's done!"

When we were yelling we had been continually inching closer to each other. His face was inches from mine and I'm sure he could see the tears that were starting to form in my eyes. I honestly didn't care at this point, but still it hurt. How could he not see that I was doing everything I could? Couldn't he tell how much I just wanted him to understand the reasons behind it?

His expression had softened though. His eyes had become less crazed, and I could see what I couldn't understand before: pain. He looked like I had shot him, like I had physically hurt him. He looked away from me then before I could see anymore. When he walked by me, his shoulder bumped mine at a speed where it made me fall down against the wall I was leaning on.

Rob helped me up again, but the damage was done. Right then I knew that things would never be the same between us.

I knew that my heart had broken and nothing I could do would win him back.

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><p><strong>Hope you guys liked it! I'll probably update next weekend. Let me know what you think!<strong>

**See Ya!**

**LXaXL  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 6

***sing-song voice* I'm back! Sorry for the long wait... I'm a junior in high school and school is finishing up. This week is my last week of classes though and then it's only two more weeks until summer. I'm also studying for SAT2s at the same time, so I'm swamped.**

**However, I managed to find time to *cough* update *cough* for you guys *cough*. Translation, I got your message shesXsuperXfreaky ;)**

**Any ways, I hope you guys enjoy and let me know what you think! I really appreciate reviews, author alerts, etc.  
><strong>

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><p>If there was one thing that I was right about, it was how I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep the night Wally had returned. Once I had gotten my water and stumbled back to my room, I tried to sleep. Really, I did. As much as I tried to ignore it, my entire body was aching from my wounds and the anxiety wasn't helping either. My mind was racing and I desperately needed air.<p>

I lazily glanced at the clock on the opposite side of the room. 3:48. I mentally did the math while I clung to the wall and began limping to the main room. Four hours give or take of me sitting in my bed. Two hours and seventeen since the panic attack had stopped and I had been able to breathe again. Two hours and sixteen minutes since I had started thinking of the things of why I didn't deserve the team's kindness. And if I wasn't lying to myself, two hours and fifteen minutes since I had begun to mourn my ended-before-it-even-began relationship with Wally. It was an awesome night for sure.

My stomach growled a bit so I got some bread to have with my water. I couldn't remember the last meal I had eaten. My bets were on something before he had gotten to me. I staggered over to the back entrance to the cave. I sat down outside, leaning against the side of the mountain. It was cold, but at this point, I was so deep in my self-loathing that I let myself shiver.

Wally was right. I am a bitch. I'm a horrible person. When I closed my eyes, all I could see were the people I had wronged, the ones I killed. This wasn't the only dark point in my life. I was familiar with the underlying urge to fling myself off the cliff I was sitting on. I liked thinking that I was stronger than it, but I could never really beat it. I was a fighter at heart, in more ways than one. It wasn't one of the more glorifying battles, but I did fight to stay alive, hell to stay stable everyday.

I was pulled from the Shadows for a few months following my thirteenth birthday. It was after I had taken one too many 'unnecessary' risks and they had found a few too many self-inflicted wounds for them to not monitor my mental status. My dad also didn't want to loose his darling little assassin to something so shameful. If I was going to die, he wanted it to be in the line of duty, in a blaze of glory.

The waves were picking up and the roaring of the waves echoed off the cliffs. The impulse to do something to punish myself was nearly overwhelming. I was holding my knees to my chest and trying to keep my hands occupied. It was becoming unbearable and I had to do something, anything to make it go away even for just a bit. I ran my nails up and down on my exposed legs, digging them into my skin. The scratches were enough to dull the compulsion I felt, but it didn't go away. It never went away.

I must have been so distracted (the noise drowning waves didn't help either, in my defense); I flinched when Wally of all people sat down next to me. I didn't dare look at his face. I averted my eyes to any where else: the waves, the horizon, the moon, the ground between us, his bare feet, his fire engine red pajama bottoms, his chiseled abs. No, no… too close. Look back at the water, look back at the water. And when he spoke, my swirling thoughts stopped.

"I'm not going to apologize for what I said."

"I wouldn't expect you to." I was surprised by how even I kept my voice.

"Good."

"Fine then."

Then the awkward silence settled over the two of us. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him fiddling with a few rocks in his hands. He was just as uncomfortable as I was, or so it seemed. _Why had he come? _The unspoken question made the air heavy and the tension even more palpable. We were both challenging the other to talk first. It felt like an eternity had passed, but finally he caved in. I couldn't help but smile a bit at that.

"I don't think you understand how much it took for me to come back."

"You're a runner. It makes sense that you would want to avoid stuff."

He tensed up a bit at that and the pace of his fidgeting increased. I could feel the anger coming off of him. I could tell that he was using every ounce of self-control at the moment. Still, I couldn't tell what he was holding back from doing. My best guess was yelling, but running away came in at a close second.

"I hate this new side of you. You're so… so detached! Normally, you'd be yelling at me just as much as I am at you right now."

Bingo. It felt good to be right, but I didn't get too much satisfaction from it as I normally would.

"So what then? You like the fact that I yell at you? I thought that all you wanted me to do was shut up and be submissive like the dumb Martian," I said as slowly and unemotionally as possible. And before you yell at me, sure we had a bonding experience, but I still resented her for keeping Wally's attention at the worst times. Still, was it bad that I enjoyed making him as flustered as possible?

"No… ugh! This isn't going as I had hoped it would. Why are you so unpredictable?"

"I just like keeping you on your toes Baywatch… What were you hoping to accomplish by talking to me? Did you want me to apologize, because we both know that isn't happening…"

He stayed quiet after that. Even with his incredible rate at processing information, he needed time to think. I thought about prodding him about this, but the conversation had taken a deeper route. It wasn't often that our bickering got past the point of what the other should have done in a specific situation or the subject of Roy. But when it did, both of us offered a bit more respect to the other.

What happened next caught me completely off guard. Not even in my wildest dreams would this have happened.

"I-I hate you so much! You don't react in any way I think you would, you don't let me get away with anything and as much as I try to deny it," he said, pausing for a second. At this point I was frozen and unprepared. He had just stabbed a knife into my already broken heart and now it was my turn to force myself to not run.

"Arty, I care. I care so much it hurts. I don't want to, I mean no offence or anything, but you're brash and loud and the exact opposite of everything I would expect I'd like in a girl, but I try so damn hard to get you to just thank me, to acknowledge that I'm trying to help…" he continued to ramble on and on, but I had stopped listening. I had absolutely no idea what to do. Taking compliments wasn't something I was good at. Hell, I didn't even know if that was a compliment. I was petrified, numb. Normally, I would have analyzed everything I could at this point, but the gears inside my head had just stopped completely.

And then suddenly, he grabbed my hand and stopped talking. I was completely dumbfounded. My entire arm roared with electricity and my stomach was doing flips. My jaw had dropped, and I just sat there staring at our clasped hands. I'm sure I looked like an idiot. At some point thought, I had gained enough control over my body to pull my head up and look into his eyes.

Our eyes locked instantaneously. He was just as scared as I was, or at least that was the vibe I was getting. Even in the limited amount of light I could see the trails of where the angry tears had rolled down his face. My heart hammered in my ears and I could feel the blood beginning to pool in my cheeks. And with a bit of satisfaction, his face flushed too. If I was a bit more in tune with what was going on, I would have been able to process the fleeting, unfamiliar feeling of joy rushing through every part of my body.

And suddenly, without any amount of warning, he kissed me. It was brief, but I could still feel the slightest bit of shaking when his lips were pressed to mine. And so went my first kiss. Sure, I had a couple of boys from the Shadows try, but I had beaten them up before they could have gotten anywhere near my mouth.

Never before had I felt so vulnerable, so entirely… fragile. Even in the aftermath of dad's outbursts, the overwhelming need to hide had never hit me so hard. I didn't know whether to cry or jump for joy. Of course, it just had to be Wally West who had made me feel so scared and above all else, human.

I didn't even look in his eye to try to gage his reaction. I summed up any bit of courage I had, and letting go of his hand I grabbed his face and pulled him back to me. My hands were shaking as I threaded my fingers though his red hair. Shyly, his tongue moved, crossing the line of where his lips ended and mine began.

He tasted a bit weird honestly. And I had to fight the impulse to bite down and rip the invading muscle off. It was awkward for a second before I responded. I slowly touched my tongue to his. It was weird and okay, really slimy. At the moment, I couldn't get why this was so appealing to some people. Experimentally, I tried pulling away a bit before trying to attack his mouth. He did the same to me and that's when the competitive side of me took over. He fought back when all I wanted him to do was sit still and let me explore.

This lasted a few minutes, until I felt a bit light headed. I pulled away, but let my forehead rest against his. My arms snaked around his neck with my right hand clasping my left elbow. We were both panting. Now, I got why people liked it. I fought the urge to wipe my mouth (the saliva coating my lips was exactly pleasant), but I couldn't beat the smile that made my lips curl. My smile only grew when he started to talk.

"Wow."

"Yeah." That was seriously the intelligent comeback I had.

My cheeks were burning and the awkwardness of the situation was settling in. What the hell was I supposed to say in this situation? It wasn't often that I had no idea what to do, and I hated that feeling more than anything else.

He pulled away slowly and I released him from the hold I had him in. I scooted away from him, but not before he found my hand and held it in his. It was just hitting me that Wally West, Wally freaking West had kissed me. A tiny part of me wondered if this was real, if this was just a dream. I checked first to make sure he wasn't looking before I pinched the skin on my thigh. I could feel the sharp prick of pain, but I still couldn't believe it.

Apparently his thoughts were in a similar place. His other hand moved to underneath my chin and pulled my head to where our eyes met.

"I don't care if this is a dream, I'm going to tell you that I think you're beautiful." And then he kissed me again.

Before I could halt my train of thought, my head was spinning with guilt and anger. Dad was right. I was attached. And even worse, I had even considered killing him. A brief idea passed through my head. I held on to it though. Never before had I felt so much conviction to do something. But I had to tell someone to make sure it didn't sound too insane. I had to tell him.

I pulled my mouth from his and settled into hugging him as hard as I possibly could. My ribs screamed in protest, but I ignored them; all I wanted to was cling to him. His arms surrounded me, and I could feel his fingers running through my hair.

"I need to tell you something," I whispered. He didn't say anything, but I took that as a sign to continue.

"He wanted me to kill you. I-I even considered it for a second. I'm ashamed of that. But, that's why I told you and the team. I couldn't imagine not fighting you, not wanting you, not…" I sighed. Damn I was getting soft. "You get the idea."

He still didn't respond. I had to say it though. If I didn't, I was going to lose my nerve. I freed myself from his arms and placed my palms flat against his face. His eyes were twitching, but they were settled on my own.

"I need your help, Kid. I want you to help me kill him," he tried to pull away then, but I didn't let him.

"I want to kill Sportsmaster; I want to kill my father."

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><p><strong>Dun Dun Dun! To be continued...<strong>

**p.s. I'm so excited for Targets, I can't stand it! **


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